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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. net — in sport
  7. suit — to fit
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. tube — a container
  10. shower — rain
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. row — to paddle
  17. snap — to click
  18. net — for catching
  19. shower — to wash
  20. suit — in cards
  21. row — a line
  22. tube — the underground
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. net — after costs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com